Piano construction



July 26, 1966 M. E. JOHNSON 3,252,350

PIANO CONSTRUCTION Filed June 2, 1964 q? f 33 l 30 f-E 57 39 Q 55 I A0:5 M M INVENTOQ MELVIN E.JOHNSON wwmfia/uwfi/iwmfiuaywm United StatesPatent 3,262,350 PIANO CONSTRUCTIGN Melvin E. Johnson, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to P. A. Starch Piano Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Filed June 2, 1964, Ser. No. 371,933 4 Claims. (Cl. 84177) Thisinvention relates to improved structures for pianos, particularlyupright pianos of the spinet variety, and more specifically is concernedwith a new and improved key bottom frame and key bed support means andthe combination thereof with the upright piano back in such a manner asto provide a unitary substructure to which the external casing elementsand portions of the piano housing may be removably attached.

According to conventional manufacturing practice, upright pianos areusually constructed in such a manner that the supporting structure forthe key bed and related elements, constituting a key bottom frame, isattached at its ends and supported directly on the side arms of thepiano housing or finished external casing. The side arms in turn usuallyare affixed to the opposite ends of the upright piano back structure.Such an assembly procedure therefore demands the finished side arms tobe included as active supporting elements for the piano back and keybottom support when assembling such members. Consequently, in the normalorder of events of conventional piano manufacturing procedure, acompletely fin-V ished piano including all of the highly polished andfinished external casing or housing members is produced on the assemblyline and then placed in warehouse storage awaiting shipment to retailoutlets and customers. This requires great care and precaution to betaken in order to protect the external housing to avoid marring orscarring thereof while the piano is warehoused. This is quite difiicultto accomplish and often results in a material economic loss to themanufacturer over a years product-ion many times necessitatingrefinishing of the finished housing surfaces prior to shipment to thecustomer.

In general, the present invention seeks to avoid the above-outlineddifliculties by providing a new and improved subassembly comprising aunitary combination of the upright piano back for a spinet piano or thelike, and a new and improved key bottom support and key bed on which thepiano keys and action mechanisms are supported. This unitary combinationis completely independent of the external housing or casing members andis completed as an integral subassembled unit without reference to theparticulars of the decorative housing members which are subsequentlyapplied thereto. By this means, the external housing members may befinished and stored in a protective container independently .of theinternals of the piano and applied to the subassembled unit of thisinvention by the manufacturer just prior to shipment of the (finishedpiano product. Thus the hazard of storing the completely finished pianopreviously experienced is successfully avoided according to oneimportant feature of this invention.

Of equal importance is the new, improved structural arrangement forsupporting the key members according to this invention. According toprior practice in this art, the key members and action mechanisms areusually supported on an underlying laminated wood structure or key bedwhich is disposed generally horizontally in front of the piano back andcarried either by end brackets attached to the piano back or morecommonly by the side arm members of the piano casing as previouslymentioned. The provision of the heavy undersupporting wooden structuregives rise to recognized difiiculty in maintaining proper adjustment ofthe keys and action mechanisms due 3,262,350 Patented July 26, 1966 tothe natural tendency of the wood undersupport to grow and shrink inaccordance with changes of ambient temperature and humidity. This hasbeen a recognized and constant source of difficulty in piano structuresfor a great many years and so far as I am aware has heretofore presenteda vexatious and unresolved problem in the piano art.

According to the present invention, the now familiar heavy wooden keybed is entirely eliminated and the key members are directly supported onan improved rigid key bottom support or frame which constitutes an openmetal structure having integral extensions at its opposite ends by whichthe framework is cantilever connected to the end or upright posts of thepiano back. This structure is rigid, stable and provides a completelyaccurate and static platform for the action mechanisms and piano keys inavoidance of the heretofore vexatious problems experienced with woodenkey bottoms or key beds.

Of added importance and advantage is the provision, according to thisinvention, of an acoustic cloth barrier and dust shield between thepiano key assembly .and the metal key bottom frame which undersupportsthe same. This feature produces an improved acoustic characteristic forthe piano instrument. The prior practice of employing the solid woodenkey beds, as above noted, served to generally block off the escape ofsound from the sounding board of the piano through the front of thepiano, thereby materially muting the forward sound output of theinstrument. With the improved structural arrangement of the presentinvention, sound readily may escape through the key bottom supportframe, and more particularly through the porous acoustic barrierprovided to perceptably increase the volumetric output of sound adjacentthe frontal regions of the piano; the arrangement in effect permittingthe passage of sound through the key bed.

Of still further importance in the structural improvements afforded bythe present invention is the provision of new and improved mountingmeans for attaching the front corner legs of the piano directly to thekey bottom support frame, with such leg support means comprising anintegral, rigid portion of the key bottom support frame.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved construction for a piano whereby an independent and integralunit is achieved for mounting the active instrument elements withoutreference to the particulars of the exterior housing or decorativecasing therefor.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a new andimproved piano construction as aforesaid in which a novel unitary metalkey bottom support frame is provided which is characterized by improvedstability and rigidity so as to promote the operational regulation ofthe key members and action mechanisms.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a newand improved combined piano back and key bottom support assembly whichprovides an effective key bed capable of permitting the ready escape ofsound through the front of the piano instrument.

Still an additional object of this invention is to provide a simplifiedunitary piano assembly including an improved key bottom support meanswhich is characteristically productive of improved manufacturingeconomies and which may be assembled independently of the externalhousing or casing of the instrument.

A still further object of this invention is to provide new and improvedmeans for undersupporting the key members and action mechanisms of anupright piano which includes improved means for affixing the forwardsupporting piano legs directly thereto.

The above and further objects, features and advantages of this inventionwill be recognized by those familiar with the art from the followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which isexemplified in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective showing of the improved unitary combination ofpiano back and key bottom support frame of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial enlarged top plan view of the improved key bottomsupport frame seen in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantiallyalong vantage lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1 to show structural details of theimproved key bottom support frame; and

FIGURE 4 is another partial enlarged cross-sectional view takensubstantially at vantage line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2 and looking in thedirection of the arrows thereon to illustrate additional structuraldetails of the support frame of this invention.

Having thus described the present invention, the best mode presentlycontemplated for carrying out this invention and to enable those skilledin the art to practice the same will now be described in detail inrelation with the presently preferred embodiment thereof illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be recognized that theunitary assembly, indicated generally by numeral therein, comprises aconventional upright piano back assembly indicated generally by numeral11, combined with the improved key bottom support frame assemblyindicated generally by numeral 12.

While the details and particulars of the piano back structure orassembly 11 will not be described herein because the same is well knownto those versed in this art, generally such includes a rather massivewooden structure in the form of a rectangular framework having uprightend rails or posts 15, 15 interjoined by the top and bottom of framerails 16 and 17, respectively. Such framework rigidly supports the usualsounding board, indicated generally at 18. A string plate, indicatedschematically at numeral 19 and comprising a generally heavy metalcasting, is provided forwardly of the sounding board 18, such carryingthe usual strip pins 20, between which the sound producing strings 21are trained in conventional fashion. It will be appreciated that forpurposes of the present disclosure, the illustrated piano back istypical of the type employed in the modern-day spinet piano.

Mounted to project forwardly of the piano back assembly 11 and at anappropriate vertical distance from the floor level is the improved keybottom frame and key bed assembly 12 of this invention. As notedheretofore, frame assembly 12 generally comprises a substantiallyrectangular rigid framework which is disposed in a plane generallytransverse to the general vertical plane of the piano back. In greaterdetail, the improved frame 12, as seen in FIGURES l and 2 of thedrawings, includes a pair of cantilever mounting arms 30, preferablyformed as solid metal bars of substantially rectangular cross section asshown best in FIGURE 4. Arms 30, 30 are adapted to be fixed in place byscrew members 31, 31, or the like, which threadingly engage the endrails 15, 15 of the piano back; such end rails 15, 15 being suitablygrooved or cut away to matingly receive the cross-sectional dimension ofthe arms 30. In this manner, each of the arms 30 for the frame 12provides a cantilever support system rigidly affixed to the end rails ofthe piano back and extending forwardly of the piano back 11, asillustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings. With particular regardto the arms 30, it will be appreciated that while the screw members orfasteners 31 hold the same rigidly to the end rail members 15, 15 of thepiano back, the provision of the cut-out slot for matingly receivingsuch arms 30 adds additional strength, rigidity 4 and support,substantially preventing the same from moving relative to the pianoback, particularly with turning movement.

Extending between the two projecting cantilever mounting arms 30, 30 areat least two longitudinal rails or frame members comprising a frontframe member 32 and a back frame member 33. Frame members 32 and 33,like the cantilever arms 30, 30 are preferably solid-metal bars ofsubstantially rectangular cross-section, and such members are rigidlyaflixed at their ends to the arms 30, 30 as by welding or likeinterconnecting means. Extending transversely between the front and backframe members 32 and 33, respectively, are a plurality of four, in theparticular embodiment shown, transverse frame members, designated 34,35, 36 and 37 in FIGURE 2. Such transverse frame members 3437 are, asbest illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, preferably hollo-w tubularmembers of substantially square cross-sectional configuration and of avertical dimension matching the vertical dimensions of the support arms30 and front and back frame members 3 2, 33. This, then, affords asubstantially uniform platform thickness for the entire key bottom frameassembly 12.

Each of the transverse frame members 34-37 is welded or otherwiserigidly affixed at its opposite ends to the two frame members 32 and 33.To complete the framework, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 4 of thedrawings, short support bars 38, 38 are provided between the mountingarms 30, 30 and the adjacent transverse support frame members 34 and 37.The provision of such frame members 38, 38 serves to particularlyrigidify the key bottom support frame adjacent the front corners thereofat which the improved means 39 for attaching the front piano legs 40(see FIGURE 3) are mounted.

As best shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the means 39 formounting the piano legs 40 to the frame assembly 12 comprise a pair ofplanar mounting plates, one located at each of the forward corners ofthe frame assembly 12 at the junctions of the front frame member 32 andthe two mounting arms 30, 30 thereof. Each of the plate means 39 ispreferably welded or otherwise rigidly afiixed to the respectivelyadjacent frame members 30 and 32, and each thereof is provided with apair of openings 42 and 43. Opening 42 is disposed substantiallycentrally of the herein shown square plate means and is threaded forreception of a mounting stud 44 extending axially out of the upper endof a piano leg 40, whereby the latter readily may be attached to themounting means 39. Once the mounting stud 44 is fully received andtightened in the opening 42 of its associated mounting means, asillustrated in FIGURE 3, an offset locking screw 45 is then drivendownwardly through opening 43 in the mounting means 39 to keep the pianoleg in its mounted position.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the key bottom supportframe assembly 12 constitutes a substantially rigid open frameworkadapted for cantilever suspension from and in front of the piano back toprovide a unitary combination or subassembly, as illustrated in FIGURE 1of the drawings. It will also be recognized that the above-described keybottom support frame or assembly 12 is readily adapted to receive andundersupport the assembled piano keys 50 and the several related actionmechanism 51 (see FIGURE 3). Prior to the assembly of the piano keys andaction mechanism on frame assembly 12, however, the upper side of suchframe is covered over with a unique acoustic barrier and dust shield,indicated generally at numeral 52 in FIG- URES 1 and 3 of the drawings.Preferably shield 52 comprises a pervious cloth which is stretchedtightly across the frame 12 and attached to the several frame membersthereof. After mounting the acoustic cloth in place the assembled pianokeys 50 comprising individual key members 55, the usual front rail 56,balance rail 57 and back rail 58 integrated on base means 59 is mountedon top of the frame assembly 12. It will be noted specifically that thebalance rail 57 is aligned substantially over the short frame members38, 38 while the front rail 56 is affixed over the front frame member 32of the undersupporting key bottom frame. assembly is fixed in place bysuitable screw fasteners or the like passing through'the transverse railor frame members, particularly members 34-36 and the front frame member32 of the frame assembly 12.

In a similar manner, the various action mechanisms, indicated generallyat 51 in FIGURE 3, are assembled on top of the undersupporting frame 12so as to engage the strings 21, 21 of the piano back assembly, all inconventional known fashion.

It will be recognized from the foregoing description that the provisionof the barrier cloth 52 serves to adequately protect the keys and actionmechanisms from dust and the like, while at the same time providing anacoustic shield capable of permitting the escape of sound from thesounding board of the piano back outwardly through the regions adjacentand beneath the piano keys. In effect, a sound path is provided throughthe open key bed afforded by the key bottom support frame 12 of thisinvention. In practice, the provision of this type of con struction hasdemonstrated a remarkably improved acoustic characteristic for thefinished instrument.

As will be readily understood by those familiar with the art, thecombined piano back and key bottom support frame of this invention, ashereinabove described, affords a remarkably compact and unitarysubassembly which is capable of receiving all of the active parts of thepiano instrument independent of the external piano casing or housing,which therefore are conveniently assembled just prior to shipment of theinstrument to the manufacturers customers. In this respect, it will bereadily appreciated that the undersupporting structure for the keyassembly and action mechanisms, afforded by the improved key bottomsupport frame 12, is independent of any of the external housing membersof the finished piano instrument, and that the entire support thereforis afforded by the cantilever connection of such frame with the pianoback (see FIGURE 1 of the drawings).

It will also be understood that attachment of the end or side arms (notillustrated) to the piano back is brought about in the usualconventional manner, by providing milled-out slots in the inner faces ofthe side arms receptive of the enlarged head portions of one or moreattachment screws 60, 60 projecting outwardly of the end of uprightposts 15 of the piano back structure, as indicated in FIGURE 1. Inpractice, the provision of the rigid metal framework 12 substantiallyavoids the heretofore experienced difficulty in maintaining properadjustment for the key assemblies and action mechanisms which hasresulted by the previous practice of utilizing a wooden key bottom frameand key bed. With the improved combination of this invention andespecially the provision of the improved rigid key bed support affordedby the open frame assembly 12, a completely stable and rigid platformfor undersupporting the key assemblies and action mechanisms is providedwhereby the instruments working elements may be assembled by themanufacturer and the action mechanisms and keys properly mounted andadjusted with little or no need for later adjustment. Further, it hasbeen found that the piano back and key bottom support frame combinationof this invention may be independently assembled at the factory andplaced in storage as a unit for the later addition thereto of selectedouter housing or cabinet members. Since the cabinet parts are usuallyhighly finished and susceptible to damage if warehoused in a fullyassembled condition, the present invention successfully avoids suchstorage problem. Thus, the objective and advantage of avoiding theheretofore experienced problem of the manufacturer in maintainingundamaged instruments in warehouse storage is successfully avoidedaccording to the teachings and concepts of this invention.

The piano key While the present invention has been described above inassociation with a particular embodiment of its principles and concepts,it will nevertheless be readily recognized, understood and appreciatedby those familiar with the art that numerous changes, modifications andsubstitutions of equivalents may be made in the described embodimentwithout necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be unlimited bythe foregoing description, except as it may appear in the followingappended claims.

I claim:

1 For use in an upright piano the combination comprising, a piano backassembly operationally positioned generally upright and comprising asubstantially rectangular frame assembly having upright end rails orposts, a combination key bottom support frame and key bed assemblyextending transversely to and in front of said piano back assembly andcomprising an open, rectangular metal framework having parallelelongated linear front and back frame members adapted to extend thelength of said piano back and linear mounting arms affixed transverselyto the opposite ends of said front and back frame members, said armshavingintegral portions projecting rearwardly of said back frame memberand adapted for cantilever attachment transversely to the end posts ofthe piano back, each of said end posts having a channel cut transverselythereacross and extending inwardly of the outside end face thereof formatingly receiving a said mounting arm portion therein; and fastenermeans aifixing said arm portions to said end posts and preventing theremoval thereof from said channels, said key bottom support frame beingadapted to undersupport assembled keys and action mechanisms directlythereon and said combined piano back and key bottom support beingstructurally independent of but adapted to support the exterior pianocasing members.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 including a pair of mountingplate means affixed to the forward corners of said key bottom supportframe and each having means for afiixing a piano leg directly to saidkey bottom support frame.

3. In a piano having an upright piano back assembly including agenerally rectangular framework having upright end posts, a soundingboard mounted on said framework and string frame means and stringsmounted over said soundingboard, an improved key bottom support framemounted transversely of said piano back and extending longitudinally infront of said string frame means and strings comprising, an openrectangular metal framework having parallel spaced front and back linearframe members, a plurality of transverse linear frame members extendingbetween and affixed at their opposite ends to said front and back framemembers, and a pair of parallel spaced linear end frame members affixedto and across opposite ends of said front'and back frame members andcomprising cantilever mounting arms extending rearwardly of said backframe member for attachment to and across the outer end faces of saidpiano back end posts whereby to position said support framesubstantially horizontally in front of said piano back and transverselythereto; said support frame members being fixedly interconnected to forma substantially rigid, stable platform for mounting piano keys andaction mechanisms directly thereon, and barrier means mounted acrosssaid support frame and between the same and said piano keys and actionmechanisms mounted thereon comprising a sound pervious cloth active as adust barrier and adapted to permit the passage of sound therethroughwhereby sound emanating from said sounding board may escape forwardlytherefrom through said open key bottom support frame.

4. In an upright piano having a generally upright rectangular piano backassembly including upright end posts, an improved key bottom supportframe comprising a generally rectangular open metal framework fabricatedof rigid linear metal frame members rigidly interconnected,

said support frame having cantilever mounting arms at its opposite endsand extending rearWardly thereof whereby the support frame may bemounted generally transverse to the general plane of said piano back andlongitudinally across the front thereof, said cantilever mounting armsbeing adapted for connection to and transversely across the upright endposts of said piano back; a barrier cloth mounted over the upper face ofsaid support frame and adapted to shield piano keys and actionmechanisms, which are adapted to be mounted thereover and attached tosaid frame, from dust while permitting the passage of soundtherethrough; and means at the forward corners of said support frame foraffixing upright piano legs thereto and comprising a pair of metalplates afiixed t0 the said bottom support frame and having means forefiecting the attachment of the upper ends of the piano legs thereto andadditional means for locking said piano 5 legs to said mounting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS J. CAPOZI,Primary Examiner.

1. FOR USE IN AN UPRIGHT PIANO THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, A PIANO BACKASSEMBLY OPERATIONALLY POSITIONED GENERALLY UPRIGHT AND COMPRISING ASUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FRAME ASSEMBLY HAVING UPRIGHT END RAILS ORPOSTS, A COMBINATION KEY BOTTOM SUPPORT FRAME AND KEY BED ASSEMBLYEXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO AND IN FRONT OF SAID PIANO BACK ASSEMBLY ANDCOMPRISING AN OPEN, RECTANGULAR METAL FRAMEWORK HAVING PARALLELELONGATED LINEAR FRONT AND BACK FRAME MEMBERS ADAPTED TO EXTEND THELENGTH OF SAID PIANO BACK AND LINEAR MOUNTING ARMS AFFIXED TRANSVERSELYTO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FRONT AND BACK FRAME MEMBERS, SAID ARMSHAVING INTEGRAL PORTIONS PROJECTING REARWARDLY OF SAID BACK FRAME MEMBERAND ADAPTED FOR CANTILEVER ATTACHMENT TRANSVERSELY TO THE END POSTS OFTHE PIANO BACK, EACH OF SAID END POSTS HAVING A CHANNEL CUT TRANSVERSELYTHEREACROSS AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE OUTSIDE END FACE THEREOF FORMATINGLY RECEIVING A SAID MOUNTING ARM PORTION THEREIN; AND FASTENERMEANS AFFIXING SAID ARM PORTIONS TO SAID END POSTS AND PREVENTING THEREMOVAL THEREOF FROM SAID CHANNELS, SAID KEY BOTTOM SUPPORT FRAME BEINGADAPTED TO UNDERSUPPORT ASSEMBLED KEYS AND ACTION MECHANISMS DIRECTLYTHEREON AND SAID COMBINED PIANO BACK AND KEY BOTTOM SUPPORT BEINGSTRUCTURALLY INDEPENDENTLY OF BUT ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE EXTERIOR PIANOCASING MEMBERS.